Saudi Arabia has not announced that The Line is being formally converted into a data center. The more accurate picture is that NEOM has reportedly delayed further work on the project until at least after 2030, is reconsidering its design, and is directing nearer-term investment toward OXAGON, utilities, ports, and data connectivity—including efforts to attract data-center companies.
What was The Line supposed to be?
The Line was presented as a 170-kilometer linear urban development within NEOM. That was an announced ambition, not a completed city or skyscraper. Euronews recapped the original 170-kilometer concept in January 2026.
The phrase “100-mile skyscraper” is a shorthand for that long, linear vision. It can obscure the key distinction in current reporting: the project is being delayed and reconsidered, but available reporting does not establish that it has been replaced by a single new structure or use.
What is Saudi Arabia replacing The Line with?
There is no confirmed one-for-one replacement. In January 2026, Futurism reported, citing Financial Times reporting and unnamed sources, that officials were considering scaling The Line down and potentially making NEOM a data-center hub. The report said the extent of any redesign was unclear. Futurism’s January report quoted an unnamed person briefed on the matter as saying, “The Line will be a totally different concept. It will use the existing infrastructure in a totally different manner.” That remains an attributed, secondhand account—not an official final design.
By May 2026, Semafor reported a more specific near-term shift: further work on The Line had been delayed until at least after 2030, while NEOM prioritized other parts of its development. The reported direction is therefore better described as a change in NEOM’s investment priorities than as a completed conversion of The Line.
| Area | Reported or public direction | What that does—and does not—establish |
|---|---|---|
| The Line | Semafor reported a delay until at least after 2030 and significant redesign of the mirrored towers; no completion date for the redesign or new funding allocation was reported. | The project’s timing and design are unsettled. This is not confirmation that it is canceled. |
| OXAGON | Semafor reported about $3 billion in further planned development. | This is a reported plan, not evidence that the spending is complete. |
| Utilities, ports, and data connectivity | Semafor reported these as near-term priorities, including infrastructure intended to attract industrial and data-center businesses. | Infrastructure investment and efforts to attract firms do not prove that a data-center operator has signed or begun operating. |
| Data-center hub | Raised as a possible pivot in January reporting. | No reviewed source confirms a final conversion of The Line, names an operator, or documents a completed replacement. |
Semafor also reported a revised NEOM target of up to 100,000 residents by 2030. That is a reported target, not a verified resident count or a measure of completed construction. Semafor’s May 2026 report describes the reported delay and near-term priorities.
Rank #2
Is The Line canceled?
The available evidence supports “delayed and being reconsidered,” not “fully canceled.” Semafor reported that work would be delayed until at least after 2030 and that the mirrored towers would be significantly redesigned. It did not give a date for completing the redesign or identify a new funding allocation for The Line.
NEOM’s public project page describes The Line as part of a long-term vision using a “phased, demand-led approach,” and emphasizes livability, sustainability, and innovation. It does not provide a construction timetable or repeat the former headline-scale length and population claims. That page reflects NEOM’s public positioning; it is not independent confirmation of construction progress. NEOM’s current The Line page.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchSaudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan, speaking about project decisions, told Semafor: “If we announce something and we need to adjust it, accelerate it and make it a priority more than others, or defer or cancel it, we will without blinking,” according to the May 22, 2026 report. The comment describes the government’s willingness to adjust priorities; it does not itself announce The Line’s cancellation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the reported $16 billion figure mean?
Semafor reported that NEOM’s 2026–2030 budget anticipated 60 billion Saudi riyals, or $16 billion, in contractor termination payments. The report attributed the estimate to people familiar with the matter and said the final amount could change through negotiations. It should be read as a reported anticipated budget figure—not a settled bill, an independently audited final total, or proof that all of NEOM or The Line has been canceled. Semafor’s account of the contractor-payment estimate.
Quick Recap
What is known—and what remains unconfirmed
- Known from reporting: The original concept was a 170-kilometer linear development; Semafor later reported that further work on The Line was delayed until at least after 2030 and its design was being reconsidered.
- Reported as a near-term priority: OXAGON, ports, utilities, and data connectivity, alongside efforts to attract industrial and data-center businesses.
- Not established: A final replacement design, a completed conversion of The Line into a data center, a named data-center operator, or an independently verified construction-completion figure.
- Still subject to change: Reported budgets, targets, and proposed investments. They are not the same as completed construction or settled payments.
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